BALLET AT FELLOWS RIVERSIDE GARDENS An enchanted evening

It was a night of great dance, food and surroundings.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Ballet Western Reserve and Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens, with lots of help from lots of friends, certainly know how to throw a great party.
They provided splendid entertainment and great food Friday, all the while benefiting children's training and education programs in both organizations.
The main feature of "Enchanted Evening at the Gardens" was a presentation by BWR dancers, who brought to life Cicely Mary Barker's Victorian "Flower Fairies." A poem from her book, read by Ed Smith, preceded each dance.
The evening began as guest sampled scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and fine wines, generously donated by numerous local sponsors. The warm weather lured people out onto the terrace of the beautiful Davis Center, where they could also stroll around the grounds to enjoy the lush gardens.
Everyone was then ushered downstairs to watch the performance.
Getting started
"The Song of the Forget-Me-Not Fairy" began with a lullaby urging baby not to cry, composed and performed Cheryl and Gary Kekel as a screaming little Ryersen Pirtz sat, surrounded by dancers, adding sweet humor to the scene. This classic, graceful ballet, choreographed by Jennifer Hayden Pirtz, continued, with the company members en pointe, and three apprentice dancers, all dressed in blue net skirts, accompanied by Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin."
The Harebell Fairies entered next, dressed in creamy satin with big purple wings in a classic ballet choreographed by BWR artistic director Anita Lin. With music and dancers representing the tinkling chimes of the harebell, this performance was delicate and charming.
The crowd got revved up as some jazzy, snazzy fairies threw a big band bash. This high-voltage tap piece, "The Song of the Ragged Robin Fairy and the Foxglove Fairy," was choreographed by Tracy Schuler, to the music of Gershwin, Ellington and Goodman. These fairies threw one wild party!
Lin choreographed another enchanting ballet piece, "The Song of the Fuchsia Fairy and the Elfin Piper," which featured Beth Clowes and Quentin Burley as the fairy and elf. Accompanied by Debussy's "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," this dance included a graceful lift.
We listened to a little elevator music as the dancers prepared for the next piece, a modern dance, "The Flight of the Poppy Fairy," choreographed by Karen Westerfield.
Poetry
The poem spoke of the poppies, present as the green wheat grows and the lark sings, which still remain after the harvest. This haunting scene began as dancers in black slowly awakened, to the eerie music of renowned deaf percussionist, Evelyn Glennie. The poppy fairy in bright red emerged as shadowy projections of birds in slow-motion flight were projected onto the back wall, to new age piano music of Yann Tiersen.
James McClellan sang a modern version of "Lavender Blue," arranged by Gary Kekel, as the talented Melissa Ramunno, clad in purple, danced this delightful ballet choreographed by Lin.
After a short break, where we watched the elegant raffle items, "brought to life" including two Nanette Lepore designers dresses, the performance concluded with a very fascinating hip-hop piece, choreographed by Brian Hennings. The dance was a showdown between the elegant Ribwort Plantain Fairies, en pointe, and the rough and rowdy Pansy Fairies, in tan pants and black tops. It's not every day you see hip-hop performed en pointe.
The evening ended with lots of chocolate, champagne and a Latin band on the terrace.